We’re delighted to see how well-received this piece was — we’ve a true soft-spot for these most delicately pretty of trees. So Concord will arrive at a bustling beach town, meet the townsfolk, be given a place to crash, plonk themselves down on a big leaf, make the most heart-melting resting animation, then conk out. Each morning, new requests come in from the villagers. Repair a bridge, beat down some bad slimes, collect and deliver a rare resource, and so on. Complete tasks, level up the village, get access to new weapon upgrades and other shinies. It makes for lovely “loops within lines” progression, letting you alternate between climbing the beanstalk and enjoying the view, whenever the mood takes you. Yesterday I was driving through an unfamiliar neighborhood, searching for a garage sale I’d read about, and my eyes spotted a small wooden cross, painted white, beneath a tree. I realized that someone’s beloved pet must be buried at that spot—and almost immediately remembered the day my grandmother buried her dead budgerigar, rolled up in a handkerchief, beneath the pussy willow in her garden.

Explore a lush, living world: Immerse yourself in The Grove’s vibrant, organic ecosystem with four distinct (and adorable!) regions to enjoy.Gardens have been fruitful settings for stories ever since Adam and Eve were ejected from Paradise. This delightfully wide-ranging collection brings together all sorts of tales of the tilled earth, featuring secret gardens, enchanted gardens, gardens public and private, grand and humble. This circle of life image captivated me and helped soften the edges of my sadness. Not only did it mean that Budgie would live on in a way that wasn’t dependent on my spotty memory, it also made it clear to me that death and life were inextricably intertwined—a lesson one learns time and again in a garden. Experiment with equipment: Utilize a variety of items to help gather resources, grow gardens, stave off Rot, solve puzzles, and indulge in the occasional musical interlude! so... it is my 1 year anniversary on tumblr! yay! i thought about releasing this set in early september, but it feels appropriate to share it with everyone today. so, meet my last release of this summer - the GARDEN STORIES PATIO set!

About This Game A chill game set in a cozy villageTraverse the four seasons in this wholesome world inhabited by quirky fruits and vegetables! As the newest guardian of the Grove, it is your duty to rebuild the village and uncover the story of its hidden past. the string lights and the overgrowth have a default height that matches the height of the pergola, but with the bb.moveobject on cheat you can set it higher if you'd like!I mentioned a twist earlier, and here it is: Garden Story gives the player the opportunity to live in - not just pass through - the four main villages. Temporary homes await Concord in each. You can rush through the story, but you can also get comfy. Lay your grape hat in your grape home, and start pitching in. Protecting, restoring, and helping the residents flourish.

It’s because Garden Story is...well...it’s sort of... profound? It would have been so, so easy for the game to just dump a bunch of silly talking produce in colourful pixel cozy land #584 with some crafting and farming mechanics and call it a day, without needing to explain itself. But there’s worldbuilding here. History. Characters with genuine concern for the fate of the land. There are hints of understated, archetypal, fairytale poetry to the writing that show an understanding of how a Zelda game makes players feel, rather than just how one functions.Japanese Acers: The ultimate guide to what to grow, how to grow it and the best acer varieties for your garden Combat Rot: Solve puzzles and fend off Rot as you delve into particularly infested locations of The Grove. Take caution: especially formidable Rot have taken residence in the depths of these areas! By Mary Ann Lieser, published originally in 2019, in GreenPrints Issue #117. Illustrated by Christina Hess It is all rather nice. It’s the abiding, non-committal word that keeps buzzing in our head as we play Garden Story. Nice. It doesn’t stray into the negative aspects of the word by becoming twee, and we can feel the day’s worries wash off us as we play. The frequent combat in this ARPG is hit-and-miss, but behind it is a sweet and sincere tale set in a land you’ll care about saving and starring the G.O.T.Y (grape of the year).

You play Concord who, as mentioned, is the custodian of a tiny garden. But they are soon seconded by a giant plum called, um, Plum, to become a ‘Guardian of the Grove’. This is a rather important title in the Grove, as it effectively positions you as one of the four towns’ champions. Being a Guardian means that you will be fixing bridges, clearing out water supplies and boshing the odd slime on the head with a hammer. Combat, farming, dungeon-delving, handywork, story and construction are all present, but in half-pints. They never quite reach their full potential, and we couldn’t point to a single one of them and say “yep, Garden Story nails that one”. Garden Story emphatically sits between stools.It’s for Budgie,” she told me. She led me inside to collect the tiny, still body of the bird that had lived for several years in the cage in her front room. Grandma unwrapped the cloth that held Budgie and stroked the blue feathers with a finger. Budgie lay on her side, her dark eye wide open but unmoving. It was the first time I’d been brought face to face with the reality of death. I couldn’t make sense of it. Just the day before, I’d watched Budgie tilt her head to the side, then plunge her beak into her dish and spray water in a little halo around her head. It was clear she’d never do that again. You see, Garden Story may lure you in with its Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley-like aesthetic, but this game about community and saving the world turns out to be an RPG in farm sim's clothing. Foster community: Take on requests, complete favors, and work as a role model to provide inhabitants with the confidence to support one another. Don’t be afraid to ask for help: we’re rebuilding together! One day the next Spring, I arrived at Grandma’s and found her pacing off the rows for her new year’s vegetable garden. I settled down on the grass to watch—and saw a small patch of violets blooming right in front of Budgie’s pile of stones.